Page 54 of The Wish List
It took a minute for her to catch up with his simple question. “Refreshing. It’s pear flavored. A seasonal blend apparently.”
He nodded. “I met the guy who owns a local brewery. I worked out a deal with them. The town is having a resurgence so supporting local business is a good thing for the bar business.”
“I didn’t realize so much thought went into the type of alcohol served.”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t always, but it should. It will lend itself to the Champions story when Bill tries to find a buyer.”
“You take your job seriously.”
He looked almost shocked by her comment. “Yeah, I do.”
“And you’re good at it. You’re good at a lot of things. Except for relationships,” she said before he could. “I got that.”
“You want to get out of here?”
“Are you going to show me what else you’re good at?” she asked and let out a little gasp, surprising herself with her boldness.
Declan gave her that disarming grin again. “Do you want me to?”
“Yes.” She breathed out the word like an oath.
Without turning around, his gaze steady on hers, Declan lifted a hand. “I’m taking off, Pete,” he called.
Beth quickly dug for her wallet to pay for the drink. She’d only finished half but felt tipsy, which she knew came more from her reaction to Declan than the alcohol.
“On the house,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“I need to grab my jacket from the back.”
He disappeared again, and Beth popped off the stool.
“I would tell you to have a good night,” the woman who’d made the earlier comment about being lucky said. She lifted her hand for a fist bump. “But I think you’re guaranteed one.”
Beth knew there were no guarantees in life. But if anyone could screw up a guaranteed good time, it would be her. She didn’t argue.
“I hope you have a good night, too,” she told the woman.
The woman tipped her head toward the far end of the bar, where a group of rowdy young men played pool. “I plan to get me some holiday cheer if you know what I mean.”
Beth didn’t, but she could imagine. Then Declan was there with a light hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the warm bar into the cold night.
“Didn’t take you long to make friends,” he said into her hair.
“Is that what I was doing? It’s been a long time since I’ve made a friend. Other than Shauna, I suppose. Is it weird that I consider her my friend too? Would she think I’m a pathetic dork?”
“I doubt it,” Declan told her. “Shauna likes you. The woman in the bar seemed to like you as well.”
“Does that make me likable? The fact that a woman in a bar struck up a conversation.”
“Not necessarily, but I think you’re likable anyway.”
“She mostly wanted to talk about you and how hot you are.”
It was hard to tell in the dim glow of the streetlight illuminating them, but she was pretty sure he blushed.
“Maybe she’d already been overserved.”
